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What car crash victims do that make matters worse

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An auto accident can result in serious injuries, and even if no one was hurt, it can still result in property damage, time wasted and hassles afterward. If you are ever in a crash here in Illinois, avoid doing any of the following things because they only make matters worse. Some of these actions are even illegal.

Leaving the scene of an accident

One must never leave the scene of a crash, no matter how minor it appears to be, as this is considered a misdemeanor in Illinois. One must always get out of the vehicle, see if the other party is injured and exchange contact and insurance information. If the other party is injured, one has the duty to provide assistance to him or her. That means calling for an ambulance or, in some cases, transporting the victim in one’s own vehicle.

This comes to a second way in which accident victims can be negligent: Many fail to call the police. What many victims will do is agree to let the insurance companies deal with things, but it’s risky because the other side may be uninsured. Without officially reporting the crash, one might have a hard time getting compensation.

Short tempers and lack of documentation

Though it can be hard, accident victims should keep calm and avoid either blaming the other driver or admitting fault themselves. Being calm will allow victims to take another essential step: Documenting the crash. They can photograph the vehicle damage and crash site, for example, and write down exactly what happened. They can ask for the contact information of any eyewitnesses, too.

A lawyer to help with what comes after

As the victim of a motor vehicle accident, you may be wondering just how much you might be eligible for under personal injury law. This is assuming that the other side is more than 50% at fault. It may be wise to let a lawyer determine just how strong of a case you have before anything else. Then, the lawyer may seek out a settlement covering all your economic and non-economic losses.

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